Gbaya people

The Gbaya, also Gbeya or Baya, are a people of western region of Central African Republic, east-central Cameroon, the north of the Republic of Congo, and the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the first half of the 20th century, the Gbaya were involved in several revolt attempts against German and then French colonial rule. In rural areas, the Gbaya cultivate mainly maize, cassava, yams, peanuts, tobacco, coffee and rice, the latter two of which were introduced by the French. Today, many of the Gbaya people are Christians, though is practiced, known as dua. Gbaya people have been present in Central Africa since at least the 16th century. Archaeological researches have determined their place of origin to be located somewhere in the lower valley of the Lobaye River. During the early 19th century, several Gbaya tribes migrated toward the Eastern area of whats is now Cameroon. During the 19th century, a series of wars opposed Gbaya tribes to Fulani tribes of the Sokoto Caliphate. These wars were marked by extensive slave raiding, resulting in the enslavement of a great numbers of Gbaya by the Fulani. The first contact with Europeans occurred in 1892, when French explorer Antoine Mizon entered Gbaya territory after steaming up the Sangha River. In the early 1900s, the area where the Gbaya lived became part of German Kamerun. The Gbaya, who traditionally lived in small rural communities, strongly resented the forced urbanization brought by the Germans. Many tribes initially responded by moving away to remote areas, but a German repression campaign soon forced them back into submission. By 1910, all the resisting tribes had been subdued, and their leaders had been hanged. From 1912 onward, many Gbaya tribes were forced to collect rubber for the Germans. When the First World War broke out, France, Britain and Belgium invaded German Kamerun. Many Gbaya joined the French to get revenge from the oppression they had suffered at the hands of the Germans.